The documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s relationship “Lucy & Desi” made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan. 22. Directed by Amy Poehler with guidance from daughter Lucie Arnaz, the film unveiled never-before-seen audio tapes and home videos from Lucy and Desi in a film of love, laughs and heartbreak. 

“I Love Lucy and She Loves Me”

“I Love Lucy” is a television comedy that debuted in 1951, starring the documentary’s figures Ball and Arnaz. This program established the “Three Camera” shoot, a filming technique that utilizes three cameras at once to capture each take as opposed to one camera per take. In addition, “I Love Lucy” capitalized on the use of a live studio audience, allowing for live laughter to fill the sound stage. 

As a couple, Ball and Arnaz broke boundaries. At a time when women in Hollywood were viewed solely as an ingenue and men of Cuban descent were not allowed to be leading men, the two were able to push against the imposed limits of the industry because they stood firmly in their belief in one another. Eventually, their ability to advocate for one another in their personal and professional lives lead to working together on “I Love Lucy”. 

Leaving a Legacy

Poehler, a female comedian herself, understands the magnitude of Ball’s contributions to the comedy world. Unintentionally becoming a pioneer, Ball paved the way not just for women in comedy, but in the entertainment business as a whole. 

The documentary was orchestrated in a way that effortlessly flowed through Ball and Arnaz’s individual childhoods to their meeting while filming the movie “Too Many Girls”. Through interviews with Carol Burnett, Lucie Arnaz and more, the focus of the documentary remains on their relationship, but also acknowledges Ball and Arnaz’s contributions to the industry. We see an extremely successful couple that broke boundaries for love and ultimately separated because of the empire they grew. 

Desi Loves Lucy

In a Q&A session post-premiere, Poehler reveals that she ultimately decided to focus on the relationship between Lucy and Desi since their life reflected the relationship created onscreen in “I Love Lucy”. Poehler says the overarching question of the piece is, “What does it look like to live life fully?” 

As Desi and Lucy gain more fame, the demands of their jobs increase, which estranges the couple more when they have to shift their focus from each other to their business. In the documentary, Lucie Arnaz says, “[Lucy and Desi] never got what they wanted.” Still, we see in the film that, despite hardships, their love remained and grew until the day that Desi passed away. 

“Lucy & Desi” is a time capsule for fans of “I Love Lucy” and a wake up call for those in the entertainment industry, asking its audience to press pause and think about where they want to be at the end of their lives. It’s an important question for people of all careers and Poehler’s work calls us to take a step back, acknowledge the importance of working to live and find time to cultivate relationships with loved ones.

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@MakenaReynolds